THE FAST TRACK

Baha’is observe tradition of fasting, physically and spiritually

The Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel, is the resting place of the herald of the Baha’i faith. Nineteen terraced gardens lead up to the golden domed shrine.
The Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel, is the resting place of the herald of the Baha’i faith. Nineteen terraced gardens lead up to the golden domed shrine.

Many Christians around the world are fasting for the Lenten season, but it’s also a season of fasting for members of the Baha’i faith.

It’s a tenet of the faith to fast in the days leading up to the Baha’i new year, which begins on the first full day of spring. During these days Baha’is the world over are to refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset and instead turn their thoughts to spiritual matters.

The fast lasts 19 days - a full month in the Baha’i calendar, which has 19 months, each with 19 days. The annual fast leading to the new year, or Naw-Ruz, is from March 2-20 on the Gregorian calendar. It’s a period of mediation and prayer.

For Dr. Namvar Zohoori of Little Rock and his family, the annual fast means rising before the sun to pray and eat breakfast each day. But the focus isn’t on the difficulty of not eating or drinking during the day.

“For us, the physical part of not eating is more of a symbol of a spiritual fast, of being more conscious of our spiritual being and connection to a higher power,” Zohoori said. “It’s a way of cleansing, not only physically, but spiritually. We are trying to keep our minds more focused on spiritual matters and less on our physical needs.”

The Baha’i faith was founded in Persia (modern-day Iran) in the 19th century by Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri, known to his followers as Baha’u’llah. Adherents of the faith consider him to be the latest in a long line of messengers from God that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Zoroaster and Muhammad.

According to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, there are more than 5 million Baha’is worldwide.

The bedrock of the faith is the belief in the oneness of God, the oneness of religion and the oneness of humanity.

“The Baha’i faith is an independent world religion that promotes the unity of all people,” said Joyce Litoff, a spokesman at the Baha’i National Center in Evanston, Ill.

Litoff said Baha’u’llah is considered God’s messenger for this day and age, much like others before him acted as messengers of their time.

“Baha’u’llah brought these teachings, which we see as teachings for this era,” Litoff said.

“One is the equality of all people. We are all children of God and how we serve God is to serve one another.”

Litoff said Baha’is believe “there is truth in all of the world’s major religions and God reveals himself progressively through time.”

She said looking at the surface, each religion has differences, but a closer look reveals commonalities.

“If you take a step back and look at the spiritual teachings you can really understand how Baha’is believe that religion is one,” she said. “People think we are a mishmash that accepts everything, but we don’t. We have this understanding of the unfolding of God.” The faith first came to the United States in 1893 during an exhibition on world religions at the World’s Fair in Chicago.

“They had people representing lots of different religions and had booths set up where Americans could meet people from all over the world,” Litoff said. “The faith grew quite rapidly after that and spread across the United States and around the world.”

The faith has no clergy. Local communities of Baha’is gather in spiritual assemblies and elect a board of directors to handle the affairs of the community for one-year terms. There are six Baha’i temples - one on each continent except Antarctica. The North American temple is in Wilmette, Ill., outside of Chicago. In Arkansas, Baha’is gather in communities scattered across the state.

“We believe that people don’t have to go to a temple to pray,” Litoff said. “Wherever God is recognized becomes a holy place.”

Dr. Katrina Davis of Little Rock was raised in a Baha’i family, but said that didn’t automatically make her Baha’i. Each person is encouraged to make his own independent investigation to find the truth when he reaches spiritual maturity at the age of 15. All are encouraged to explore other religions, which she did, before committing to the Baha’i faith.

“I went to mosques, synagogues and various churches,” Davis said. “My parents encouraged it.”

Growing up in Mississippi, Davis said she was constantly bombarded with the message that as a non-Christian and as a Baha’i she “was going to hell,” she said. Ultimately, Davis decided that the Baha’i faith simply made sense.

“It showed me a loving, compassionate God. It was logical. It brought science and religion together,” she said. “The two weren’t at odds.”

For Davis, the annual fast is a time for spiritual renewal.

“It’s time to get away from the material and focus on the spiritual,” she said. “It’s a time to refocus yourself and remember what’s important.”

Without the need to focus on food throughout the day, she can spend her time contemplating the spiritual.

“It’s interesting how much time we spend eating,” Davis said. “Once I adjust after the first couple of days it doesn’t bother me that much. I find I do more at lunch time. I read and do work. It’s interesting how your body changes.”

Davis said those who are ill or have medical conditions or are younger than 15 are exempt from the fast.

“If you can’t fast, you don’t do it,” she said. “It’s not meant to hurt you.”

Zohoori was born in Iran to a Baha’i family. His parents volunteered to move to Jamaica as volunteers for the faith. What was to have been a two-year mission became a 20-year experience. By the time Zohoori reached the Baha’i age of spiritual maturity he was so immersed in the faith it was a “no-brainer” for him to stick with it.

“I saw in the Baha’i faith the natural progression of all the religions, that religion is revealed over time and it builds on itself,” he said. “There was no doubt in my mind it was the right thing.”

For Zohoori, the 19-day fast is a way to deepen his daily worship.

“During these days, it becomes a more intense time,” he said. “In our family, we get up and eat and then sit down for prayers. The rest of the day is working and pretty much a normal day but more with a mindset of being mindful of our spiritual existence. Not eating is a constant reminder of that. You get hungry or thirsty and that reminds you of what you are doing and why.”

Baha’is will break the fast at sunset on March 20.

Religion, Pages 12 on 03/08/2014

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